William (Marquis of Montferrat)

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The name William appears in Paradiso XX, v. 62, in the context of the survey of luminous spirits drawn by Cacciaguida in the Heaven of Mars. The authorized note to canto VII identifies him with William VII, Marquis of Montferrat, nicknamed Spadalunga for his valor in war, who ruled the marquisate from 1254 to 1292. During his government he extended the territory as far as occupying Milan; later taken prisoner at Alessandria following that city's rebellion, he was imprisoned there until his death in an iron cage. His end was the cause of a harsh war that his son Giovanni waged for revenge against Alessandria, bringing mourning to Monferrato and Canavese. The note to v. 62 of canto XX further clarifies that the expression «a quella terra plora» (referred to here as «fa pianger») alludes precisely to the price of tears that the peoples paid for those wars.